Darren Clarke looks set to make a return to action at this week's BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth having almost completed his recovery from a hamstring injury.
Clarke, who missed last week's Irish Open, was said by management spokesman Martin Hardy to be '95 per cent' recovered and barring any setback appears certain to tee off in Thursday's opening round.
Clarke hurt himself playing football with sons Tyrone and Conor and accepted medical advice in withdrawing from Adare.
He also pulled out of the Wachovia after one round and managed only six holes of the Players before deciding it was best to quit.
"I'm really down in the dumps after so many recent setbacks, but I have to make sure I get fit as soon as I possibly can," said Clarke at the time, who prior to his latest trip to America had missed four cuts in a row. His world ranking is down to 87th.
Meanwhile, defending champion David Howell is rated at just 60-40 to compete this week. Forced out of his last two events in America because of back and hip problems and unable to make a trip to Macau last week, Howell is planning to test himself over nine holes of the West Course tomorrow.
"He was hitting balls for the first time today and I think you'd have to say he's only about 60-40 at the moment," stated Hardy of Clarke's stable-mate.
The Ryder Cup star has had a career riddled with injuries but last year gave a masterful performance in the European Tour's flagship event, finishing 17 under par on the toughened-up course and taking the title by five strokes from Simon Khan.
In 10 starts this season, however, his best finish was 29th at the Nissan Open in Los Angeles in February.
Five of the world's top 10 - Ernie Els, Vijay Singh, Henrik Stenson, Retief Goosen and Luke Donald - are in this week's field, but Adam Scott, the current number four who last month announced his intention to appear as well, subsequently withdrew "for personal reasons".
